There have been countless debates over many months about Bollywood's favourite sex bomb Mallika Sherawat's real age.

While a prominent news channel questioned Mallika's talll claims of ‘being very young" by digging into her history and exposing her past credentials which included her airhostess job at a certain age and her failed marriage, another one very recently talked about how Mallika lies about being 26 when she is actually 36.

This big question and controversy about Madame M's real age just refuses to die down. There have always been contrary reports of her age in the media. At times she is 26-28 and at times 35-36. After almost succeeding in hiding her marriage, now it seems Mallika is hell bent on putting her real age under wraps.

Mallika is the front runner here, but she is not exactly alone. Bipasha Basu has convinced everyone that she is 28, while a school junior of hers from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Kolkata who is herself actually around that age says, "Bipasha was my senior in school and at least three years older than me. I don't know how she suddenly cut down so many years". That makes dear old Bips almost 31!

Wannabe sex kitten and queen of sleazy cinema Sheryln Chopra claims to be only 22, where as sources claim otherwise. ‘Sherlyn has been 22 for many years now", jokes a source.

Well, there are only a few examples. There are not many (like Ash and Tabu) who admit their age blatantly. For the rest, it all boils down to Indian woman being ‘oh so conscious' about their ages.

On the other hand, Hollywood divas Madonna, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts and co might have admitted to heir ages but that hasn't belittled their grace, charm, appeal and appearance in any way. Our desi ladies might have emulated them in as many ways as possible but this leaf out of their book has still not been taken and will not be for long, by the looks of it.